Her Choice
by veramoray
Summary: Dianakko Week Day 1: Soulmates/Star-crossed Lovers Diana is the soon-to-be successor to her aunt Daryl, Lady of the House. Akko is the court buffoon, and she's rather good at it actually. Shenanigans.


**A/N: dianakko week day one! soulmates/star-crossed lovers. i originally wrote this for myself, but figured it fit the star-crossed lovers prompt pretty well so i decided to post it! also, its not really finished? i originally wanted to include art of a few scenes, but i simply haven't found the time. i may post another version of this later with the drawings, but for now it gets posted to dianakko week 2019! **

**diana might be a little ooc (more of a rebel diana) in this one, but i do what i want. also i was imagining her as a sort of royal, but not a princess... so like, a duchess? a lesser crown sort of. anyway. who knows if duchesses actually have court fools, who cares, its cute and i like it. i hope u like it too! x**

* * *

As Akko rounded the last corner, she was surprised to see two guards stationed directly outside of the double doors that led to Diana's room.That's odd, she thought before shrugging, continuing until she stood directly in front of the doors.

"Ah, good afternoon, gentlemen!" Akko said brightly. "If you would just excuse me—"

Two spear-headed axes clanged into an 'X' in front of the entryway, blocking her path as she attempted to squeeze by.

"Lady Diana is not to see any visitors at this moment," grumbled one of the helmeted guards.

Akko furrowed her brow. "But I always—"

"She is not to see anyone," he repeated sternly, stepping into her personal space to push her away from the doors.

"Hey!" Akko protested. "Let me through, I need to—"

The guard seized her by the arm, nodding towards the other to do the same.

* * *

"Get—your hands—off me!"

**"Lady Diana is not to have any visitors, especially not the court's **buffoon **. I would advise you to stop resisting…"**

Diana looked up at hearing the commotion coming from outside her room. Furrowing her brow as she noticed a familiar but stubborn voice, she stood up from her writing desk and made her way to the door to investigate.

"Hey! I might be a fool, but at least I'm not a—"

"Akko," Diana interrupted before things could escalate further, pushing open the heavy wooden doors that led to her chambers. Akko ceased her struggling, and Diana directed her attention to the guards who each held firmly onto one of the girl's arms. "Guards—please, release my friend at once."

Standing there proudly in the doorway in her gold-trimmed vest and skillfully tied scrunch cravat, her bishops sleeves pooling at her wrists, Diana was the very image of confidence and authority even outside of proper court regalia. If Daryl had been watching, she would have been proud of how Diana commanded herself—a true Cavendish indeed, someone surely worthy of the title she would soon be bestowed with.

The guards knew they were pressed between a rock and a hard place, having to choose between their orders and the requests of the soon-to-be Lady of the House. After a moment, the guard on the left dropped Akko's arm obediently, though the other looked as if they were about to protest before reluctantly letting the poor fool go.

Diana's face relaxed into a diplomatic smile. "Thank you," she said. "Come in, Akko. You know you are always welcome in my quarters."

Akko straightened and dusted herself off, strutting haughtily into Diana's room, though not before turning back around at the last second to stick out her tongue at the bristling guards—without Diana's knowledge, of course. She rubbed at her arms sulkily after they entered Diana's bedroom.

The room doubled as a study—bookshelves lined the walls, and neat stacks of studious-looking tomes sat on nearly every flat surface. There were tapestries in the spaces between bookshelves and on the wall behind Diana's bed, and an ornate wooden desk sat facing the window, littered with papers and more books, an elegantly-styled quill sitting delicately inside of a brass inkwell.

Akko loved Diana's room—even with all the furniture and multitude of books, it was still open and bright. The midday sunlight filtered in through the far window in heavy rays, and though the room was clean, the streams of light glittered with dust particles. It was the only room in the entire estate that really felt lived in. Everywhere else felt too stuffy to Akko. There wasn't a single comfortable seat in the whole place, and even though most of the rooms had windows, any sunlight that was allowed in still couldn't add any warmth to the dreary place.

"Geez, what is with those guys?" Akko grumbled under her breath as she pulled the door shut behind her. "They're not usually so… tense."

"Oh, you're not aware?" Diana asked satirically, striding back to her desk. "Daryl has put me under a stricter guard since your last incident."

"My last incident?" Akko looked positively affronted. "You were just as much a part of it as I was!"

"Surely you are mistaken."

"No? Let me see if I can help you remember..." Akko grinned mischievously and took a breath as she morphed her face into a pitiful expression, taking on a lofty, high-pitched voice. "Oh, woe is me! I bemoan my very existence." She placed a hand dramatically across her forehead, throwing herself theatrically against one of the many bookshelves in the room. "Every day I am shrouded in books. I drown in meaningless tasks!"

"I do not speak like that," Diana said seriously, yet the corners of her mouth twitched in poorly concealed amusement.

"Oh, Akko," the girl clasped her hands at her chest as she continued with her overly dramatic re-enactment of the scene, "My most loyal and trusted friend—save me from the monotony of my wretched, aristocratic life!"

"Alright," Diana laughed, "That's enough with your... impressions. You are right—I admit, I did drag you into it a bit."

Akko shot her a satisfied smirk and plopped herself down unceremoniously into a wide, cushioned seat across from Diana's desk, nestled in the light of a tall, paneled bay window. The evening sun had warmed the cushions nicely, and painted the room in a soft glow.

"Finally, we can agree!" she winked. "This spot is always so comfortable," Akko closed her eyes and sighed, relaxing deeper into the plush cushions.

The window seat was her favorite, and the most frequented in Diana's room—often she would lay back against the pillows and lose herself in the pages of a book. Daryl didn't know about her secret stash of fantasy novels, and Diana was perfectly happy keeping it that way. In a way they reminded her of Akko and their adventures, so she read them the most when she was feeling lonely.

"So, what brings you here so early?" Diana asked.

Akko grumbled. "Bad day at court." She ripped off her floppy, feathered hat and tossed it to the side.

"Oh?" Diana inquired absentmindedly, plucking her quill from the inkwell, dragging the tip lightly along the edge to catch the excess ink before beginning to write.

Akko observed her from her spot near the window, listening to the light scritching of Diana's quill as it traveled gracefully over the parchment. She watched as Diana's eyes flitted from the book on her right to her paper as she wrote, noting the shifting of her arm as she finished one line and began another.

Akko sighed silently to herself. Daryl must have her translating old texts again…

Diana's aunt had a penchant for the academics and sciences, and while Diana shared that interest, it wasn't her passion. She didn't enjoy being cooped up in a stuffy room all day poring over dusty old books. Every hour of the day she longed to be outdoors, riding over the hills and roaming the countryside finding hidden groves and caves to explore, getting to know and understand the lands she would one day be watching over. What she really wanted was to be free…

But Diana knew that within the next few months she would have to take over as the head of her family. Part of her was looking forward to taking charge and righting all the wrongs her aunt had tainted the Cavendish name with over the years—to bring back honor and station to her family legacy. The other, more reckless part of her—the part that only Akko knew about—wanted to run and never look back.

But she had to be responsible. It was only a few more months until she would don the ceremonial robes and take up her aunt's coronet to become Lady of the House. There was also the looming matter of suitors, always creeping up behind her like a giant, spidery shadow.

The whole ordeal made Akko want to pull her hair out in frustration. Diana hated court and entertaining their speeches—spoiled duke's sons who couldn't give a damn about what made Diana so uniquely amazing and wonderfully her . Truth be told they weren't all bad, but...

None of those stuffed-up pretty boys deserved her anyway! Akko huffed to herself. They were too… too everything in Akko's totally unbiased opinion. Too simple-minded, too shallow. Their coats were always too crisp and clean, their hair too shiny and fancy, smiles just the slightest bit too sharp. It made her sick to picture Diana with any of them—it just didn't feel right. None of them could ever love her in the overwhelming, all-encompassing way that Akko did. It made her ache, how she was always so close to Diana but she didn't know . Diana didn't know how much she meant to her and it made Akko feel so horribly wretched inside.

She knew it made Diana miserable too with the way she always directed the conversation away from the subject of suitors. "Let's talk about this some other time," she would always say. And Akko would nod and agree because she didn't want to think about it either. But their time was running short, and Akko didn't know what she was going to do.

She noticed that Diana was getting restless, too. She had been a lot more tense and irritable lately, and Akko figured it had a bit to do with the extra workload her aunt was distracting her with. The more she was penning away, the less time she had to get into trouble… Akko thought it was stupid, but it did make a little bit of sense—still, Lady Daryl was being very unfair, grasping on to whatever lingering control she still had over her neice.

"You're awfully quiet," Diana observed, pulling Akko from her brooding thoughts. She set her stack of papers to the side so she could focus her full attention on her friend. If Akko was quiet, it usually meant she had something weighing heavily on her mind. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Akko sighed and sagged miserably into the weathered window seat. "No one laughed at my jokes today," she deflected, pushing her real feelings deep deep down inside of her until they were almost forgotten. "Your aunt looked so disappointed that for a moment I thought she was going to gut me in front of the entire court!"

"I am sure it wasn't that bad, Akko," Diana comforted.

"Oh, it was," she bemoaned, burying her head in her hands. "I'm losing my edge. Diana, I'm too young to be having a mid-life crisis!"

"You aren't having a mid-life crisis," Diana assured, struggling to contain an amused smile. "You've just had an off day, that's all."

"Perhaps you're right," Akko relented. She perked up with a grin, "Hey—There's a new play going on tonight. I was thinking about going. It's supposed to be a comedy, so… maaybe I'll get inspired and come up with some better material that won't make your aunt want to shove her letter-opener up my—"

"Akko." Diana grimaced as the unwelcome image planted itself in her brain.

"Eheh…" Akko chuckled sheepishly. "So… what do you think?" She leaned forward with an eager expression, "Sneak out of the manor, go see the play… Sound like a plan?"

Diana sighed and leaned back in her chair. The polished leather creaked beneath her as she shifted. "I would love to, but I simply can't," she tried unsuccessfully to ignore Akko's disappointed pout. "As I stated earlier, after our last escapade Daryl has put me under a more careful watch. More guards, less opportunities for trouble, I'm afraid."

Akko placed a hand on her chin in thought, "What if I—"

"—And they are fully aware that you are the main instigator of our latest schemes. So, none of your 'charm' or 'wit' will fool them this time, I assure you."

"Drat," Akko scowled and crossed her arms petulantly. "What's her deal, anyway? We have fun! What, does she not like fun?"

Diana fixed her with a blank stare.

Akko blinked. "Right. Don't answer that. Anyway," she continued, "She's got that gods-forsaken tiara shoved so far up her entitled a—" she paused at the warning look Diana shot her, "—uh, rear end—that she can't see you're clearly working too hard! And you don't enjoy any of this. You deserve to get out in the world and have a little fun!"

Diana only looked despairingly down at her desk, picked up her quill and continued writing. Akko frowned. This wasn't the first time they had talked about this, and it certainly wasn't going to be the last.

"So…" Akko drawled, sprawling herself lazily along the window seat, "what are your aristocratic plans for the rest of the evening?"

Diana straightened and gestured to her desk, which was littered with old tomes and parchments. "I'm supposed to finish translating these texts, and then I need to finish prefacing the deal with—"

"Blah, blah, deals, blah, boring boring mumbo-jumbo, blah," Akko waved the rest of her response away. "Well that just won't do."

She glanced out the window. Nearly dusk. If they were going to go, the time was now.

"You said Daryl positioned more guards, right?" Akko asked.

"Yes," Diana confirmed, only slightly miffed at having been interrupted before. But it was Akko, and Diana knew she was only looking out for her. "We won't be able to sneak right out the door this time..." Her voice softened and her body sagged with remorse as she let out the deepest of sighs. "Truly, Akko, I am sorry. There is not much I would rather do than spend the evening with you."

Akko had half the mind to blush, but she was too excited by the loophole Diana had presented in her response, and her mouth stretched into an impossibly wide and mischievous grin.

"Who says we have to use the door?"

* * *

"...This was a terrible idea."

"You're only saying that because you think we're gonna get caught," Akko huffed. "You're thinking with your future brain, not the brain that's right here, right now! Live in the moment, Diana. Relish in the adventure!"

Akko looked up as Diana's boot slipped on a chalky section of the wall, tiny pebbles and dust raining down on her face from above. She spat out some of the grit before continuing, "And don't worry! If you lose your footing, I'll be forced to go down with you, and I will break your fall!"

"That is not the slightest bit comforting, you know," Diana grunted, struggling with the thick vines that crawled up the side of the manor. "Unlike my aunt, I do not take pleasure in your misfortune."

"Oh, Diana," Akko swooned. "I never knew you harbored such profoundly deep emotions for me."

"Akko, I beg of you, save your foolery for another time," Diana closed her eyes and forced her blush back under her skin. She could be sentimental when they were not dangling precariously four stories above the ground. "Perhaps at a more appropriate moment, when our lives are not at stake."

"Always so serious," Akko mused to herself with a fond smile that went unnoticed by Diana.

After a while, they made it one more floor closer to the ground. As Akko paused on a narrow ledge to catch her breath and to let Diana catch up to her, a warm summer wind picked up their cloaks (Diana had lent her some more normal clothes before they departed) so that they billowed gently in the breeze. Eventually, Diana came down and perched herself on the ledge as well. Akko looked over and flashed one of her signature smiles, which Diana gracefully returned, the expression feeling almost foreign on her face after frowning down at her work for so long.

"Pardon me," said a gravelly voice to their left, startling the two girls almost to the point of losing their grip, "But who goes there?"

They both froze, too stunned and panicked to answer. Lord Byron, one of Daryl's courtiers, was a hunched and wrinkly old man with terrible eyesight. He was nice enough, but could be rather irritable at the right times. Judging by his furrowed brow and deep-set frown, it seemed they had unintentionally intruded upon one of his "quiet reflections" he tended to take every now and then in the reading room.

"Who goes there?" he repeated, squinting in their direction, "Is that you, Miss Anna?"

Akko wheezed as Diana elbowed her in the side, prompting her to speak. She cleared her throat to prepare her voice, "Y-yes, Milord!"

With his poor eyesight and the dwindling light of day, Akko hoped to fool him. She was rather decent with impressions, despite what Diana might have to say about it, and it seemed that luck was on her side for tonight as it worked like a charm. He apparently hadn't yet noticed the young Lady herself, being on the other side of Akko, which was also good.

"I do say," said Lord Byron, leaning out over the edge of the balcony's railing, "what in the blazes are you doing?"

Akko stammered. "Laundry," she stated lamely, after a moment, and Diana audibly bumped her forehead against the wall.

"Laundry! Goodness, me..." The old Lord observed her with his squinty, old eyes. "What part of laundry requires you to be up in such a dangerous place?"

"H-Hanging the clothesline, of course!" Akko continued with regality, not missing a beat. It was in times like these that Diana truly appreciated Akko's foolish nature in all of its ridiculousness. "Now, don't be worried! It is my job, after all."

"Hm... Very well then. Just keep it down, will you? I am trying to enjoy a nice evening to myself."

"Of course, Lord Byron. My most sincere apologies," Akko bowed respectfully in the old man's direction, as best she could in her current predicament.

"Hmph!" Exclaimed Lord Byron before he turned around towards the reading room and hunched his way back inside.

The two girls waited a moment for the glass doors to swing shut, and then let out matching sighs of relief.

"I can't believe that actually worked. We would have been toast—" Akko cut herself off, dissolving into a fit of quiet laughter.

Diana attempted to remain stoic, fully intent on reprimanding Akko for her foolishness, but in the end she found her amusement and fondness for her companion too large to contain. They climbed the rest of the way to the ground before collapsing in a spent heap against the ivy-covered wall. They paused for a moment to breathe before meeting each other's eyes, almost immediately bursting into a fit of poorly concealed laughter.

"I do say—" Akko began in her best imitation of Lord Byron's dusty old voice, her hands positioned mockingly on her hips, before Diana playfully whacked her on the shoulder, still laughing, and shushed her.

"Be quiet!" She giggled. "The guards might hear us—"

"Is someone there?" came a deep voice from around the corner. "Show yourself!"

Diana's heart leapt into her throat, and the girls quickly scrambled to their feet as quietly as they could given their current circumstances. Diana struggled to slow her racing heart; she could not allow herself to be caught again—she was still taking the heat from the last time they'd been found out, and the consequences would be dire. Cold dread gathered in the pit of her stomach, and she looked desperately to Akko for aid.

What should we do?! Diana's panicked expression spoke for itself.

I don't know! Akko gestured wildly at her, You're the aristocrat here—do something!

Do something?! Diana's face was incredulous. I'm pretty much on house arrest! What do you expect **me **to do? You're the scoundrel! **You **think of something!

"Come out of there!" The voice demanded again, their boot steps growing nearer as they rounded the corner.

Akko grabbed Diana's hand. Run! she mouthed, and they took off in the direction of the gardens, whizzing through the hedges and past the trickling fountain in the center of the courtyard. The gardens were filled with tall hedges, rose bushes, and immaculately shaped topiaries—they cowered behind a particularly thick hedge lined with white carnations to catch their breath, and Akko leaned around the corner to observe.

"I think we lost him," she whispered.

Indeed, the guard stood confused at where they had previously been sitting, muttering to himself, "Hm... Must have been a rat." He marched back to his post, and Akko and Diana slumped once again to the ground in relief.

"And to think," Akko panted beside her. "The fun hasn't even really started yet!"

Diana shook her head, smiling. What a night it had already been.

"Well," Akko hauled herself up. "Let us continue on before you tire of rebellion," she teased, clasping the blonde's forearms to pull her to her feet.

"Never," Diana breathed, and Akko blushed at the proximity her grasp allowed. A borderline giddy smile upturned Diana's rosy lips, a mischievous twinkle shining in her eyes in the light of the early moon. Akko swallowed, allowing herself just a moment to stare up at Diana's flushed face in the pale glow of the evening, appreciating the way the fountain's light illuminated the soft curve of her cheek, before she reluctantly released her and stepped back.

"We should get out of here," she said, attempting to mask the way Diana's closeness was affecting her. She shouldn't be thinking— couldn't be thinking about this. "We don't want to miss the first act!"

Diana motioned ahead as if to say, Lead the way. Akko beamed at her, and they weaved through the hedges until they reached the outer wall that wrapped around the estate. They snuck around to an old, dried up water line and began making their way into the city.

* * *

The walk back was fair, the moonlight cool on their skin as they meandered through the sleeping city in the dark. Something about it—walking around as part of the common rabble, enjoying normal people things—sent a thrill through her bones. Perhaps it was the way Diana imagined the look on Daryl's face if she knew what they were up to… Still, she couldn't deny the way her blood felt charged as Akko rolled back the grate of the old water line, and they were soon crouching in a grimy, cobweb-infested tunnel.

"I'm going to miss this," Diana sighed, and Akko turned her head to gaze at her. Her voice, quiet as it was, bounced off the walls of the tunnel around them. "I doubt I'll have as much time as I do now to go off gallivanting like this once I become head of the house."

"Well," Akko began. "All good things come to an end eventually, right?"

Diana hummed. "I'm just not ready to give this up yet."

"Don't worry—When the time comes, you will be," Akko assured.

A comfortable silence fell between them, and eventually they made it back to the gardens. A few of the Watch had already retired, so there was less chance of them getting caught sneaking around. As Akko was climbing out of the tunnel, she noticed Diana looked a little off.

"Is everything alright?" she asked with genuine concern.

"I—" Diana hesitated. "It's...nothing."

Akko pursed her lips. "Ookay, it's obviously something." Having an idea, she tugged Diana towards the courtyard. "Come on."

"Wait—Akko—" Diana protested, knowing there would be guards somewhere at some point and oh God they were gonna get caught again—

"Relax, Diana," Akko said quietly. "You.. do know how to do that, right?" she teased.

The blonde huffed, rolling her eyes fondly, but she relaxed as Akko instructed and followed her as she would almost anywhere.

* * *

Akko had pulled her along until they were sitting at the fountain in the center of the gardens. Surprisingly, there weren't many guards out. Maybe it was because they were all stationed up and down Diana's corridor, stretching their numbers thin.

"You've been acting all… weird and broody all night," Akko noted. The fountain trickled quietly behind them. "What's up?"

Diana bowed her head forward so her golden hair fell around her face like a curtain. "I… don't know," she concluded.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Akko said gently.

Diana sighed. "I guess I just don't want today to end. This is the happiest I've been in awhile."

Akko smiled. It filled her with warmth to know that Diana enjoyed being around her so much—and also with sadness at the fact that they had such limited time left. "Well…" she said, "It doesn't necessarily have to."

"What do you mean?" Diana questioned. "That is how time works, Atsuko... Don't tell me we have to send you back to nursery school," she teased, playfully poking her comrade in the side.

"No, no," Akko chuckled, batting at the offending hand. "I mean it's nearly tomorrow anyway. Let's just hang out for a little while longer and then you'll just have to wait a few hours until you see me again! Because it will still be the same day."

"And who says I wanted to see you again, hm?" Diana said coyly.

"Uh—w-well, I didn't mean …" Akko stammered. "Uh. I-I'm sure you do have other friends—"

Diana laughed. "Akko, I am kidding. Of course I can't wait to see you again." A glimmer of hope flared in Akko's chest at those words. "And I wouldn't dare think of adventuring with anyone else," she admitted in a low voice, turning her head towards her companion.

"Aha, well… That's good," Akko wet her lips nervously. "It's good to know you're n-not… two-timing me or anything," she laughed awkwardly. "And, um. For the record, I wouldn't want to adventure with anyone else either."

Akko took in a deep breath for confidence, hesitantly reaching for where Diana's hand rested in the space between their bodies.

"Yeah?" Diana whispered, smiling softly to herself at the feeling of Akko's searching fingers. Their arms brushed as she slid her hand into Akko's. Boldened by the other girl's poorly concealed blush, even in the dark cover of night, Diana entwined their fingers.

"Y-yeah," Akko swallowed nervously. Diana was holding her hand. Diana was holding her hand . And… gods. She was looking at her too, with the softest most affectionate look imaginable, and if Akko were standing she was sure it would have weakened her at the knees.

"Akko," Diana's eyes moved from her wide brown eyes down to her lips. She slowly leaned closer, and Akko's heart stuttered in her chest—shemust be imagining things. Her breath hitched as Diana's fingers brushed against her jaw, running her thumb gently over Akko's flushed cheek.

She wanted this, real or not. She'd wanted it for so long, had hoped and wished on every star in the night sky, and it was finally happening. Diana's breath shivered across her lips as she drew nearer, and Akko trembled at her touch, her eyes fluttering closed. She wanted this so much.

But...

"Wait," she said, pinching her eyes shut, and she felt Diana halt directly in front of her. She opened her eyes to see Diana looking at her with concern. "W-what about your aunt? Diana, we…"

"I don't care," Diana whispered, trailing her hand down Akko's arm to tangle their fingers together. "I don't care," she repeated, louder.

"I'm not exactly royalty, you know…" Akko chuckled weakly. "I can't—I can't give you very much." She sighed as Diana brushed her fingers along her cheek, leaning into the touch.

"You know I don't care about any of that," Diana said.

Akko sucked in a shuddering breath. This was too much all at once, her heart was surely going to explode if Diana kept saying things like that . "People…" she whispered. "People will—We can't..."

"I don't care, Atsuko," Diana held her face firmly in her hands. "I am so tired of doing what people expect me to do. I am so tired of choosing them over me every single time. I want to choose myself for once," she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I want to choose you."

"D-Diana... I…"

"Akko," Diana breathed. "Please." She pressed her forehead against Akko's, feeling a hand settle on her waist and tug her closer.

"Please," she whispered again, her breath tickling the skin of Akko's lips as she spoke, and she had barely finished the word before Akko leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss. A surprised noise caught in Diana's throat and she sighed into Akko's mouth, sliding her hand around to the back of her neck.

When they parted, it was Akko who pulled away first. "If it were me," she said finally, "I'd choose you too."

Diana smiled, saving her worries and concerns for later. For now, they could just be together.

"Akko." Diana said after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Did you close the window after we climbed out?"

"Uhh…" Akko tried very hard to remember. "I think so? Why?"

Diana closed her eyes and sighed. Of course. "You do know they only open from the inside?" Akko paled. "How are we supposed to get back in?"

"...Oh."


End file.
